Lois I. Ford

Lois I. Ford serves as a Contract Specialist for the Umpqua National Forest within the U.S. Forest Service, where she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions supporting ecological restoration and infrastructure maintenance. Her responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts aligned with the agency’s mission of forest health, reforestation, and public land stewardship. She specializes in acquiring services related to vegetation management, habitat enhancement, and post-fire rehabilitation, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and environmental stewardship goals. Her acquisitions are strategically aligned with the Forest Service’s long-term land management objectives, emphasizing sustainable practices and regulatory adherence. Ford maintains strong, recurring relationships with key contractors including G E Forestry, Inc., Green Hills Forestry LLC, Three Stripes Contracting LLC, and Umpqua Valley Forestry, Inc.—all of which provide specialized forestry and land management services. These partnerships reflect a preference for local, regionally based vendors with demonstrated expertise in silvicultural operations, fuel reduction, and ecological restoration. Her contracting approach fosters collaborative, performance-based engagements that prioritize technical competence, environmental compliance, and operational reliability in remote and ecologically sensitive terrains. A staunch advocate for small business participation, Ford consistently applies Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with 94.1% of her awards reserved for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate and sustained commitment to socioeconomic contracting goals, enabling regional firms to contribute meaningfully to federal land management objectives. Her pattern of set-aside usage underscores a strategic alignment with USDA and Forest Service priorities to strengthen rural economies and build local capacity in natural resource management. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), which dominates her portfolio, followed by 561720 (Janitorial Services) for facility maintenance and 238220 (Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors) for infrastructure support. She also manages limited acquisitions in water and sewer construction and automotive maintenance, reflecting the diverse operational needs of field stations and remote outposts. Ford’s expertise lies in procuring technical, labor-intensive services that directly support forest health, resilience, and public access across the Umpqua’s complex landscape.